Turn Our Eyes Away
by everybodybreaksaglass
Summary: This is a sequel to my fanfic "A Uninvited." Aria struggles to recover from the heartbreak of Ezra betraying her. *Spoiler* Ezra is A, and Alison is alive.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This is a sequel to my previous FanFic "A Uninvited". I highly recommend that you read that before you start this piece. It's up to you, though, and I will try to give some background as I write. *Spoiler Alert* Ezra is A, and was using Aria to try to find his secret love, Alison (Who is still alive) Thank you, and enjoy!_**

**Chapter 1**

Whispers echoed throughout the hallway of Rosewood High as Aria Montgomery walked to her first class. Some people stepped aside as she passed, as if Aria was Moses and the students made up the Red Sea. Not a single kind glance was given to her. Aria scanned the many faces that looked disapprovingly upon her, searching for the faces of her three best friends. But she knew that they weren't there. All of them were probably already in English class. No one knew that Aria was returning to school today.

English class. Most students dreaded Algebra, or AP Chemistry. But Aria's stomach sank at the thought of sitting in her regular seat, listening to the substitute drone on for an entire period. All eyes turned towards Aria as she walked into the half-empty classroom. Spencer stood up as Aria approached her usual spot next to her best friends.

"Aria," Spencer said gently, "I didn't know you were coming back to school today."

Aria nodded. She could feel Hanna's disapproving eyes scanning her outfit. Nothing really mattered to Aria anymore, she didn't have anyone to impress when she came to school now. Her outfit was plain and unflattering. The jeans Aria wore hung loose on her hips, but whether it was because of the fit or because Aria had lost excessive weight, no one could tell. Aria's gray, long sleeved t-shirt revealed her sunken collar bones. And the ratted converse on her feet were so not in season.

"Neither did I." Aria mumbled, her eyes transfixed on the empty desk at the front of the room.

"Aria," Emily touched Aria's shoulder softly, "Are you sure you want to be here?"

"No." Aria snapped, jerking away from Emily's touch, "I don't want to be here. But I can't just keep running from this forever. We all know that's what they would have wanted."

"Yeah, well Ali got what she deserved." Hannah broke in, "So now you need to live the life that you deserve."

Aria stared off into space again. That was just it, Ali didn't get what she deserved. She had pleaded insanity and was now locked up at Radley Sanatorium. It was hardly a suitable punishment for torturing the girl's as A for over a year. As for Ezra, he was behind bars for having a teacher student relationship, and stalking. Aria would never see him again, and she wasn't sure if she wanted it to be that way.

The bell rang, and Aria snapped out of her train of thought as the rest of the class began filing into the classroom.

"Hey Montgomery!" Noel Kahn yelled across the room, "The new sub is a girl. Unless you play for that team I don't think you're going to have much luck with this one!"

Aria shoved her books back into her backpack and stood up. Emily got up after her,

"Aria, don't listen to them." Emily said.

"No, you guys were right." Aria's voice shook, "I can't do this. I'm not ready to be in this classroom. I'll see you at lunch."

Aria bumped into the substitute teacher as she shot out of the classroom. Spencer, Emily, and Hanna glanced at each other with a worried expression after she left.

"Asshole." Hannah muttered, glaring at Noel Kahn out of the corner of her eye.

Aria ran through the hallways of Rosewood, not seeing anything but Ezra everywhere she looked. She passed the hallway of teacher offices and tears began to fall down her face as she saw Ezra's abandoned office. Aria didn't realize where she was going until she was at the guidance counselor door. The door pulled open just as Aria reached for the handle, and she found herself face to face with an oh-so familiar figure.

"Jason." Aria whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "What are you doing here?"

"The guidance counselor wants be to do some work with the low-life's of Rosewood." Jason DiLaurentis explained, "But she's not in right now. So I'll have to come back later."

Jason looked into Aria's teary eyes and scanned her disheveled appearance.

"Aria what's wrong?" He asked.

Aria stared blankly at him, searching for the right words to say.

"Sorry. That was a stupid question." Jason apologized, "What could possibly be right?"

"It's just. . ." Aria trailed off as her eyes welled up with tears again, "Being back here. . . everything's different. No one looks at me the same anymore. Everyone sees me as the skank who slept with my teacher. Even my friends, they're walking on eggshells with me. I know they're happy that Ali's gone but. . ."

Aria cut herself off, remembering that she was in fact talking to Ali's older brother.

"Sorry." She said, breaking eye contact with him, "I didn't mean. . ."

"No, don't be sorry." Jason spoke sternly, "Alison was a terrible person. She tortured people. She tortured you. She's gone to a place where she can't do that anymore and I could not be happier."

"I just don't understand why she would do that to me." Aria whispered, staring at the ground, "What did I do to deserve this?"

Jason put his hand on Aria's shoulder, causing Aria to jolt and look up at him.

"Aria, listen to me," He said, "You did nothing wrong. Ali is cruel, all she every wanted was to hurt people. You deserved nothing that she did to you."

"But I could have stopped it." Aria argued, thinking back to all the times that Ezra and her had nearly broken up and wishing that they had before it was too late. Then she wouldn't have been in the position she is now.

"Ezra Fitz abused his power with you." Jason's voice rose, "That's not your fault."

"I let him." Aria protested.

"Aria you can't let this ruin your life." Jason said, his voice gentle again, "You have so much ahead of you."

"Yeah? Like what?" Aria questioned, "Being mocked all throughout high school? Having colleges look at what I did with Ezra and not wanting me at their school because they're scared I might do the same thing to their reputation? People walking on eggshells with me because all they ever see me as is Alison DiLarentis's friend? That sounds just wonderful, Jason."

Aria spun on her heel and began to walk away from Jason. He reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into him. She shook with heavy sobs as she cried into Jason's chest.

"It's going to be okay." Jason cooed, rocking Aria's tiny frame in his arms.

Jason clutched Aria tightly, scared she would collapse if he let her go.

"But what if it isn't?" Aria cried into his chest, "Then what?"  
"That's not an option, Aria," Jason said firmly, "It's going to be okay, because I said it is. I won't let you not be okay."

They stood in the hallway for a good five minutes, until Aria's sobbing ceased and they were just standing in silence. The bell rang, and Aria looked up at Jason.

"I should go," She whispered.

"What class do you have?" Jason asked, "I'll walk you there."

"Study hall." Aria croaked, "It's in the library."

Jason gestured in the direction that they needed to walk in order to go to the library, "Let's go."

Surprisingly, no one made comments as they walked through the hallway. Aria only got a few sympathy stares. Jason stopped when they reached the Library.

"Look," He said, his voice low, "Why don't we go out somewhere after school? Do you want to get coffee? My treat."

"Sure," Aria nodded, "That sounds really nice. Bye Jason."

Aria turned and left Jason standing in the Library doorway with a dazed expression on his face. He watched as Aria scanned the room, and as she located her usual friends and hurried over to the table where they were sitting. Jason left when Aria sat down at her table.

All heads turned towards Aria as she sat with Hanna, Spencer, and Emily.

"Jesus Christ Aria!" Hanna Exclaimed, "You look like an absolute train wreck."

"Hanna!" Spencer whispered, shooting her a sharp glare.

"What?" Hanna shrugged, "I'm just being honest."

Hanna looked at her friends and received nothing but blank stares. She grabbed Aria with one arm, and her oversized tote with the other,

"Come on ladies, we're going to the bathroom." She ordered.

"Han," Emily protested, "We're in study hall."

"Fine," Hanna sniffed, "Stay here. But Aria seriously needs our help."

Emily and Spencer reluctantly got up and followed Hanna who was dragging Aria with her towards the study hall proctor.

"Mr. Williams," Hanna said sweetly, "We need to use the restroom."

"All of you?" The middle aged man raised an eyebrow.

"We're having girly issues." Hanna smiled.

Mr. Williams waved his hand, clearly uncomfortable with the topic of discussion. Hanna practically skipped down the hallway towards the nearest woman's restroom.

Hanna opened her tote and pulled out a huge makeup bag.

"Now, where to start?" Hanna asked turning towards Aria.

"How much stuff do you have in there?" Spencer commented, looking at the bag Hanna had pulled out.

"Just the necessities." Hanna tried to assure Spencer, "Nothing overboard. Now, Aria, let's see, your eyes have dark circles and you look kind of pale but other than that your skin is fine."

"Hanna what are you doing?" Emily asked,

"Giving Aria a makeover, duh." Hanna smiled. Emily rolled her eyes and began to play games on her phone.

Hanna brushed a bit of concealer on Aria's face, followed by blush and mascara. Aria just stood, shooting pleading glances towards Spencer who just smirked back at her.

"There, now you look alive." Hanna proclaimed, "But I don't think your hair is salvageable. I think I'll have to take you to get your hair done. How does after school sound?"

"I um, can't." Aria said, "I'm meeting Jason for coffee."

"Aria!" Spencer practically cheered, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't have time to talk." Aria shot a glare and Hanna.

"Sorry." Hanna hung her head sheepishly, "But you cannot wear that outfit on a date!"

"It's not a-" Aria protested.

"Hush." Hanna snapped, "I have a change of clothing in my locker, I'll be right back."

Hanna hurried out of the dingy bathroom and the door swung shut behind her.

"Well I guess you're her new project." Spencer joked.

"She does know that I'm not necessarily going to wear anything she picks out for me, right?" Aria asked.

"Try telling her that." Spencer's voice was her normal, sarcastic tone.

"How are you holding up?" Emily asked, "You don't have to put on a brave face for us."

"How do you think?" Aria returned her question with another question, "You've found out that the person you love isn't who you thought they were before too, you should know how it feels."

Emily's face fell, she had been in love with Alison. Aria saw Emily's expression and instantly felt remorse.

"Em," She pleaded, "I'm sorry. That was harsh."

"No," Emily said, "You're right. I do understand how you feel, and I'm here for you no matter what."

"So this thing with Jason tonight. . ." Spencer trailed off,

"Is just coffee and nothing more." Aria finished.

The door opened, and Hanna came rushing in, toting with her what looked to be an actually tolerable outfit.

"I know, I know, I'm the best." Hanna gushed.

"Um, sure Han," Aria said.

"What, you don't like it?" Hanna asked, looking at her vanilla colored sweater and dark high-waisted jeans. In her other hand, Hanna held a pair of brown boots.

"No, it's great. Thank you Hannna." Aria smiled. She really did appreciate her friends looking out for her. All she wished was that they didn't make such a big deal out of her going out for coffee.

Despite the slight height difference between her and Hanna, the outfit fit Aria perfectly. Since the jeans weren't two sizes two big, and the sweater didn't reveal Aria's bony chest, she actually looked slightly curvy and feminine.

"Damn." Hanna teased.

"I don't think it's going to be just coffee after Jason sees you in that!" Spencer winked at Aria with a laugh.

The bell rang, interrupting the four best friends' powwow.

"We should get to class." Emily broke in. The girls agreed, and all left the bathroom with giggles. Even Aria had a smile on her face. Maybe being back at Rosewood High wouldn't be so bad after all. With her best friends beside her, nothing could bring Aria back down again.

**A/N: Hey guys! Well if you're previous fans of A Uninvited welcome back, it's good to be writing for you again. Newcomers, hello, nice to meet you. I hope this fanfic lives up to your hopes for a sequel. I might make this one a little longer than the last, but anyways, leave a review and follow if you like this, thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jason DiLaurentis sat at a table in an empty corner of The Brew. He wasn't entirely sure if Aria would even come. After everything she had been through, he wouldn't have blamed Aria if she just wanted to curl up in a ball at home and never leave her bed. When Jason saw Aria walking over to his table, a huge smile spread across his face.

"Hi Jason," Aria smiled sweetly at him.

"Hi Aria," Jason tried not to seem too excited, "I'm glad you could come."

Aria at down and they both ordered vanilla flavored cappuccino's. Once the waitress served them their drinks in huge ceramic mugs, they began to talk.

"Are you feeling better?" Jason asked Aria.

Aria took a sip of her cappuccino and sighed with delight as the warm, creamy taste slid down her throat, "Much." She said, "What about you, Jason? How are you doing?"

"Some days are worse than others," Jason admitted, "I just can't believe she was alive all that time. After everything she did, I still love her, and I hate myself for it."

"Don't," Aria put her hand over Jason's, "She's your sister. You have to love her, no matter what."

"No, I don't." Jason protested, "She was a terrible person who is nothing but cruel towards other people. She doesn't deserve love."

"Everyone deserves love," Aria said softy.

"Alison isn't capable of loving others," Jason said, "So why do so many people love her?"

"She was beautiful," Aria began, "But more than that. She could make you feel like the most amazing person in the world. Unless you did something she didn't like, then you were worthless to her. It's easier to bow down to her than it is to stand up and fight for yourself."

Aria wondered for the millionth time if Ezra really did love Alison, or if he was playing her puppet just like everyone else she associated with. Looking back, Aria could hardly believe that Ezra was faking their entire relationship. There was no way he was looking for Alison. He had hardly asked her anything about Alison the entire time they were together.

"I just have so many questions." Aria finally said.

"We all do," Jason nodded, "We all do."

"What did Ali ever do to you?" Aria asked.

"Ali had a lot of people she liked to mess with, make them do what she liked." Jason began, "But I was her favorite. By favorite, I mean that she treated me worse than she treated anyone else. Ali eventually made my parents hate me, and then most of our extended family. When I got back to Rosewood, all my old friends had moved elsewhere. I had no one. Alison made me alone."  
Aria had a million more questions. What did Alison have on Jason? How did she turn his own family against him? But she knew better than to ask.

"I just don't believe any of it," Aria said for what felt like the thousandth time, "Alison faking her own disappearance? Ezra using me to find her? It doesn't add up."

"I don't believe it either," Jason said, in a more firm voice, "I don't think Ezra was using you to find her. I think Ezra knew she was alive. And I think that he was doing her dirty work."

"Why do you think that?"

"Think about it, what reason would he have to think Alison was alive when she was proclaimed dead by authorities?" Jason explained, "Unless he knew she was alive after missing for such a long time, why would he risk going to jail to look for her? More importantly, why did he think one person could find her better than an entire search team?"

"So many questions," Aria sighed, "I wish I had some answers."

"We all do, Aria." Jason looked distant again, "Look, I didn't mean for us to harp on what happened when I invited you here. Let's talk about something else, how was the rest of your day?"

Aria pondered for a moment. How had her day been? Despite Noel Kahn being a complete asshole towards her, and people she didn't even know staring at her in the hallway, Aria's day hadn't gone as bad as she had expected it too. Then again, she hadn't really been sure what to expect. She hadn't expected her friends to want to talk to her again. After all, she had been dating A. If they hated her, she wouldn't have blamed them. So that was a plus.

"It was as good as it could have gone," Aria said, "It's nice to be back with my friends. I don't feel so helpless anymore. Except for when Hanna decided to make me her new pet project."

Jason chuckled, "Yeah I noticed that. She did a good job, you clean up well."

Aria blushed and suddenly became very interested in her cappuccino.

"Maybe things will be okay eventually," She said, more to herself than Jason.

"It will be," Jason assured her, "Have you ever heard the expression 'there's life after high school'? Well there's life after Ezra. And after Alison."

"Have you found it?" Aria asked, "Life after Alison, I mean."

Jason eyed Aria carefully, and then let on a small smile, "I think I might have."

"Well that's great, Jason," Aria said, "You deserve to be happy."

"You deserve happiness too," Jason replied, "Don't hold onto him forever."

"I know," Aria sighed, "It's just. . . I don't think I'll ever really let go of him until I know why he did what he did."

Jason hesitated for a moment, "Did you ever find out about Vivian Darkbloom?"

"Who?" Aria asked.

"Alison would sometimes dress up as someone else, a made up girl named Vivian Darkbloom. She used this disguise to do her dirty work, to go places that Alison wouldn't be caught dead in."

"I never knew that," Aria said blankly. If only she had known that Ali might be dressed up as someone else. Maybe she could have found her if she had known what to look for.

"No, you probably wouldn't have," Jason shook his head, "I only found out because I found one of her fake ID's once."

"Sorry but what does this have to do with anything?" Aria cut in.

"I'm. . . familiar. . . with the facility Alison is in." Jason began, "I think I could pull a few strings and Alison would be allowed visitors. But I don't think they would let you in given the circumstances."

"So you're saying I should make my own Vivian Darkbloom?" Aria asked.

"No," Jason said, "I think you should become Vivian Darkbloom."

**A/N: Sorry guys, I suck at updating. I know this chapter is shorter than the first one, I'm sorry about that. Anyways, leave a review and I'll update as soon as possible. Expect some Jaria romance in the future :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Aria shivered as the night wind brushed up against her. The nightfall made it hard to see the address scrawled on the paper that she clutched in her hand, but she was almost positive that she was in the right place. A seemingly familiar apartment building was in front of her, with none of the lights on. It looked almost abandoned, but Aria knew that wasn't the case. Somewhere secluded like this was the perfect place for her and Jason to meet up and talk in private. No one would think to look for her here.

Aria stifled a scream as a hand closed over her mouth.

"Shh," Jason murmured, "It's just me."  
"Jason what the hell?" Aria whispered. She wasn't sure why she was whispering. That's just what people who don't want to be found do.

Jason grabbed her hand and began to lead her up a rusty staircase that led to one of the apartments. His touch felt warm against the chill of night, and Aria felt her heart skip a beat at the sudden contact. As Jason opened the door and turned the lights on, Aria realized why she knew this place.

"Why are we in Toby Cavanaugh's old loft?" Aria asked, as Jason clicked the door shut behind him.

"This is where the A lair used to be." Jason said, "I called Toby and asked him if we could use this. He said to go ahead, he hasn't been back in here since that night."

Toby had moved into the barn with Spencer after Ezra and Alison's arrest. They had forced Toby to become part of the A team, threatening him with Spencer's life. Aria didn't blame him for not wanting to come back. It gave her the creeps, thinking of everything that must have gone on in this room.

"So what are we looking for?" Aria asked.

"A red coat." Jason said, "That was what she always wore. A red coat and a brown wig. Sometimes a pair of sunglasses."

"How do you know all of this?" Aria wondered aloud.

"Once I found out Ali disguised herself as someone else, I began to follow her," Jason explained, "I knew something was wrong. But one day I lost her. And then I never saw her again."

"Did you ever find anything out?" Aria asked, "Where was she going when she dressed as Vivian? And why didn't she just-"

Jason cut Aria off, "I don't know why she disguised herself. At first I thought it was just stupid girly crap. She followed you guys around a lot. I figured that she just wanted to know what you said when she wasn't around, or something like that."

"But?" Aria asked, when Jason stopped talking.

"But I know now that wasn't the case. Everyone loved Alison, and she knew that. This wasn't some high school drama. But I still don't know what it was."

Aria walked around the loft, opening drawers as she went. Nothing meaningful was in them, just illegible notes and business cards with unfamiliar names on them. Until. . .

"Jason come here," Aria called across the room to Jason, who was about to open the door to the only closet there.

"What is it?" He came over to look at what Aria was looking at.

"Do you know how to pick a lock?" She asked, "The drawers to this file cabinet won't open and I'm guessing that means they're important."

"No, but I'm guessing the key has to be around here somewhere." Jason said, and walked back over to the closet.

Aria gasped as he opened it up. Inside the closet were at least a dozen red trench coats.

"What. . . why are these. . ." Aria couldn't find the words to say.

"I'm guessing Ali wasn't the only one who disguised herself as Vivian." Jason said.

He began to dig through the pockets of each coat. There was nothing in the first few, but then Jason pulled out a key ring with nine different keys on it.

"I'm guessing it's the smaller one." Aria said.

Jason walked back to the file cabinet with her, and tried the smallest key on the set. To their luck, the top drawer opened.

"Holy shit." Jason whispered.

Inside the top drawer were tons of fake ID's. Two separate ones with a picture of Alison wearing a brown wig and green colored contacts. They were both ID's for Vivian Darkbloom. One was a normal fake ID, the other one was a nurse's pass for the hospital. Toby's picture was also on two separate ID's. One was to Radley Sanitarium. His name was Eli Lamb. Then there was Ezra's. He had four ID's. One normal, one to the school, one to Radley, and one to the hospital. But his name was Ezra Fitz on the ID.

"Ezra's real name isn't Ezra." Aria gasped, "Because that's his name on the fake ID."

"Wait a second, there's some more under all of these."

Jason handed a few of the ID's to Aria to look at what was underneath.

"Oh my god," Aria exclaimed, "I have to call Hanna."  
"No, Aria," Jason said, "We have to get out of here, now."

The last set of ID's had a very familiar face on it. Mona was the fourth part of the A team.

* * *

Aria and Jason sat on a couch back at the DiLaurentis house.

"Mona is A." Aria whispered, "I can't believe this, I have to tell Hanna."

"No," Jason said, his voice low, "You can't let anyone know we were in there. For all we know, Mona is still carrying out their work."

"So does this mean that the A team existed before Ali even disappeared?" Aria asked.

"Probably." Jason answered her, "Maybe Ezra was even working with Ali the whole time she was missing. Who knows? But we're playing on a whole different field now."

"Why were they all working together?" Aria pondered, "Ali hated Mona. And Toby? He creeped us all out back then."

"We went to get answers and instead we got more questions," Jason spoke, "But listen, Aria, no one can know we were there. Not even your friends."  
Aria nodded, "I promise I won't tell."

But that didn't mean nobody would find out they were in that loft. In fact, Aria was almost positive that somebody would know they had been there very quickly. For inside Aria's pocket sat Vivian Darkbloom's ID cards, which she had stolen unbeknownst to Jason. Aria wanted answers, and she would get them no matter what it took.

**A/N: So I updated this quicker than I normally would have because you guys are so nice and I took a while to update the last chapter. Please leave a review! I love to hear what you guys think about the story. **


	4. Chapter 4

Aria woke up in a confused daze. She tried to sit up, but something was holding her back. Immediately, she realized she had fallen asleep in Jason DiLaurentis' arms. They were just talking and watching movies and Aria had felt more comfortable than she had in a long time, so she had fallen asleep. She pulled her phone out of her front pocket and saw that it was almost seven in the morning. And that she had 5 messages from Spencer wanting to meet for coffee.

"Shit." She had to be at school by eight.

Slowly, she wriggled out of Jason's arms, and he didn't so much as stir. She quietly walked out of his house, closing the door behind her and stepping out into the cool morning air.

As Aria walked back to her house, her thoughts ran rampant inside of her head. How long did she have to pretend to be Vivian before Mona found out that the ID cards were missing? More importantly, would Jason help her get answers despite the recently revealed risk?

Jason. The thought of him made Aria smile. He had done nothing but be kind to Aria and try to help her since the second he saw her. Aria couldn't deny herself the fact that she had feelings for him, but it had been so soon since she had found out about Ezra that she wasn't sure if she was ready to really let someone in again. Besides, that didn't matter. Jason probably didn't even feel the same way.

"Oh my god," Spencer's voice broke Aria's train of thought, "You're doing the walk of shame."

Aria realized the Spencer was leaning against her car, parked in Aria's driveway. She looked down at her own outfit, and then back up at Spencer.

"I am not," Aria defended, crossing her arms.

"You totally are!" Spencer laughed, "Those are the clothes that Hanna gave you to wear to coffee with Jason. Except I guess it wasn't just coffee. . ."  
"Nothing happened!" Aria swore, "I was just talking with him and fell asleep?"  
"Mhmm," Spencer gave an unconvinced nod, "Come one Aria, we have to be at school. Go get a shower and put on some clothes that don't make you look guilty and I'll make some coffee for us."

Aria rolled her eyes at Spencer, but let her into the house nonetheless. Everyone was gone already, but Aria knew that no one would have taken much thought to her absence that morning. Byron and Ella were very laid back, despite the whole Ezra and Alison thing, and let Aria come and go as she pleased. They probably had just assumed she had spent the night with Spencer or one of the other girls. Aria walked upstairs to her bathroom, leaving Spencer to fiddle with the coffee maker as much as she pleased.

* * *

Aria noticed two new bodies chattering in her kitchen when she came back downstairs wearing an oversized polka dotted sweater and a pair of leggings.

"Invite yourselves over why not?" Aria directed at Hanna and Emily.

"Hey, Spencer called and said you guys were going to be late so Emily and I decided to join." Hanna shrugged.

"Coffee?" Spencer offered, holding out a steaming pot, "Though I'm sure it won't be as good as coffee with Jason was."

Emily broke in, "Yeah, how did that go?"

"She had sex with him." Spencer said blatantly.

"Ooh, really?" Hanna smiled, "You go girl!"

"Guys!" Aria said sharply, "I did not have sex with Jason DiLaurentis!"

"Mhmm, then why were you walking back to your house wearing the same clothes as you were yesterday, this morning?" Spencer demanded to know.

"I told you," Aria defended, "I fell asleep!"

All three girls gave Aria an accusing look.

"You know you can tell us anything, right?" Emily asked.

"Yes, I know!" Aria was clearly getting annoyed, "And I am telling you guys everything."

"Okay, whatever," Hanna ended the topic, "Anyways, why don't we just skip? You know, instead of showing up late and getting the stink eye from teachers. I've been wanting to go to the mall anyways.

The girls all agreed with Hanna. A little R&R time was all that they needed right now. After finishing a quick breakfast of assorted cereals at Aria's house, they all hopped into Hanna's Mercedes and drove off towards the mall.

* * *

Aria was looking into her full body mirror when the doorbell rang. She had bought a new dress at the mall and wasn't entirely sure if it really suited her or not. Black dresses had always seemed a little risqué to her, and this one was especially short and sexy, with a revealing one-shoulder strap. Not having time to change out of it, she quickly ran downstairs to get the door, hoping it wasn't anyone important.

"Jason," Aria smiled, "Hi. Uh, wow."

"Hey Aria," Jason said, "How was school today?"

"I didn't go," Aria explained, "The girls and I decided to go to the mall."

"Oh, well how are they then?" Jason asked.

"Good," Aria said, "Except. . .they think we had sex last night. Spencer caught me walking back home this morning."

"What?" Jason exclaimed, "I would never! Not that. . .it's just. . . I'm not that guy."

"Not what guy?" Aria raised an eyebrow at Jason.

"What I mean is that you're going through a really hard time right now," Jason said, "And I couldn't sleep with you without feeling like I was taking advantage of you or something."

"Jason, that's really sweet of you to look out for me like that," Aria said, "No offense though, but why are you here? I know you didn't come all this way just to ask me how my day was."

"You're right," Jason admitted, "I was going to call you but . . . it's not considered proper to ask a girl out on the phone. . ."  
Aria's eyes lit up, "You were coming over here to ask me out . . . on a date?"

"Yeah but. . ." Jason's eyes scanned Aria's dress, "It looks like you already have plans."

"No, Jase," Aria reached out to touch Jason's arm, "It's not that. I was just trying this on. I'd love to go on a date with you, a lot actually."

"Well then," Jason said, "Aria Montgomery, would you like to go out to dinner with me this Friday?"

Aria laughed, a girly giggle, "Yes Jason, I'd be happy to.

Jason shifted his weight and bit his lip. Aria smiled up at him, unable to process what was happening. She had thought that she wasn't ready for a relationship quite yet, but looking at Jason she realized that he was the one that would make her whole again.

"Jason I. . ." Their eyes met one another.

"Yes?" Jason looked at Aria quizzically when she trailed off.

Aria reached up and cupped Jason's face in her hand. He quickly responded by stooping down and crushing his lips against hers. The chemistry between them in that moment was undeniable. Aria was nervous; she hadn't kissed anyone since Ezra, but it felt so right. Jason's lips were rough to the touch but he was so gentle with her it was all she could do not to melt in his arms. After kissing for what felt like an eternity, Jason pulled away from Aria leaving her breathless.

"So. . ." Jason smiled, "Friday it is then."

**A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter as much as you have liked the last ones. I'm a huge Ezria shipper but I'm also a big Jaria fan so I'm enjoying this series because it's a little bit of both. Sorry if you wanted to find out what Aria is going to do with Vivian Darkbloom's ID cards in this chapter, that won't happen until at least the next one. If you want to find out what happens, leave a review. What's your favorite part about this story? Least favorite? Thanks so much! I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, but I'm going on vacation over the weekend so it might not be until Tuesday or so.**


	5. Chapter 5

Aria was lying on her bed examining the Vivian Darkbloom ID's. A million questions danced through her head. Mostly about what Ali needed those ID's for. But Aria also wondered what Ali would say if she knew Aria had kissed Jason. What she would say when she found out. Aria knew she was going to tell Ali, whenever she figured out a way to see her. Ali would be pissed off, and she deserved it. Aria wasn't going to give Ali the satisfaction of watching Aria be miserable.

Aria's phone buzzed interrupting her thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat at the initial tone, the same pang she always got when her phone buzzed ever since A began terrorizing her. It skipped another beat when she saw that the text message was from Jason.

I haven't been able to get you out of my head since this afternoon, is there any way we can meet tonight? I have to see you again.

Aria smiled, then glanced at the clock; it was well past midnight, and she was confident that her parents were asleep. She texted Jason instructions for how to sneak into her house, then lay back on her bed waiting for Jason to arrive. The wait was short, not even five minutes later she heard the tree outside her window rustling. She practically danced over to the window to let Jason in, and he almost knocked her over with how fiercely he kissed her the second he was inside.

"Hi." She whispered breathlessly.

"Hi." Jason smiled.

Aria took Jason's hand and led him over to her bed. He sat down and pulled her next to him, tucked comfortably under his arm. Feeling the warmth of his skin against hers, Aria thought that she could stay there forever. Never before had she been so comfortable just being next to a person. Jason stroked Aria's hair, and she closed her eyes in pleasure at the gentle touch of his hands.

"We're doing this all backwards." Jason said.

"Hmm?" Aria mumbled, not opening her eyes.

"This," Jason stated, "I'm supposed to take you out for dinner, then send you desperate text messages, then have you accidently fall asleep at my house. But I like it this way."

"Me too," Aria sat up, "I was thinking about you when you texted me."

Jason started playing with Aria's fingers, a simple gesture that she found adorable, "Really?" He asked, "How so?"  
"I was wondering what Ali would have thought about us," Aria admitted, "And I think she would have hated us being together."

"I think her opinion about who you choose to date is no longer valid," Jason said, his voice quiet but his tone angry.

"So we're dating?" Aria asked.

"I haven't exactly taken you on a date yet," Jason pondered, "But I would like you to be my girlfriend."

"Funny," Aria smiled, "I would like to be your girlfriend."

Jason kissed Aria gently, and she returned the motion. They became less gentle and more passionate, hearts beating quickly inside their chests. Jason briefly ran his tongue along the outer edge of Aria's lips, and she parted them to allow him inside of her. Her tongue met his, and Jason emitted a low noise from the back of his throat. He wrapped his arms around Aria's waist as their tongues fought for dominance with each other, and swiftly moved so that he was on top of Aria.

Aria tangled her fingers through Jason's thick blonde hair, savoring every second their lips were connected. Jason grabbed Aria's hands and pressed them up against her mattress, next to her head and kissed her with an urgency he had never felt before.

"What's this?" Jason pulled away suddenly.

Aria opened her eyes, "What?"

Jason was holding the ID cards that Aria had hurriedly stuffed underneath her pillow. Before she got the chance to snatch them away, Jason squinted at the photo and Aria knew by the look on his face that he knew exactly what he was holding.

"Aria," Jason said slowly, "Why did you take these?"

Aria reached out to touch Jason's face, and he jerked away, "Jason I just. . . I need answers."

"Why would you do this?" Jason asked, "When I'm trying so hard to keep you from getting hurt?"

"I'm already hurt," Aria snapped at him.

Jason's expression softened. He set the cards down on Aria's bedside table, and took her hands in his.

"I'm sorry," He said, "I don't want to fight with you. I just can't stand the thought of something happening to you. Please don't go anywhere involving Alison or pretend to be anyone unless I'm there."

"I won't," Aria promised.

Jason pulled Aria close to him, hugging her as tightly as he could without crushing her tiny frame.

"I've liked you for so long," Jason whispered in her ear, "Now that you're finally mine, I don't want to lose you."

Aria kissed Jason's cheek, "You're not going to lose me."

"I'll come anywhere you want me to," Jason said, "I don't care what it is, just please don't go snooping around into Alison's life alone. That's dangerous territory."

"I'd feel better having you with me anyways," Aria murmured, curling up against Jason's chest, "Can you stay here with me tonight?"

"Of course I will," Jason kissed Aria's forehead, "Nothing would make me happier.

Aria nuzzled Jason's neck and he smiled at the feel of her silky hair against his skin. Soon enough, Aria dozed off in Jason's arms, and he eventually followed suit. They both got the best night's rest they had gotten since Alison and Ezra's arrest, the feeling of happiness finally outweighing the feelings of anger and betrayal.

**A/N: I took way too long to update this, and I'm sorry. I hope you liked this chapter! I don't think Aria has a tree by her bedroom window but whatever. You Jaria shippers will love this fanfic, I promise. Don't worry, Ezria fans, there will be some surprising reveals later on. This will be longer than A Uninvited was, but I'm not sure by how much. Anyways, please leave a review, thanks for your patience!**


	6. Chapter 6

Aria stood outside a small boutique in Brookhaven, clutching a small piece of paper containing the address of the store. After going in A's lair, Aria had searched for the store that the red coat tags said they were from. Now she stood outside the same store, alone. She hadn't meant to lie to Jason, but she couldn't drag him into this. Jason had no idea how dangerous the A team was, and that she was only protecting him by doing these things alone.

Aria walked into the store, and was greeted by a middle aged woman who was dressed fashionably.

"Hello, my name is Andrea, is there anything I can help you find today?" The woman asked.

"Actually yes," Aria said, "I'm looking for a coat that I bought here, it was a mid-thigh red coat, and I want to buy another one if you still carry it."

"We carry many different coats that come in a variety of colors," Andrea said, "But I can look in our store records to see if I can find the specific style you bought. Could I have your first and last name please?"

"It's Vivian," Aria lied, "Vivian Darkbloom."

Andrea walked over to the counter and began typing in her computer, while Aria wandered around the small store.

"You're not Vivian," A low voice murmured in her ear.

Aria gasped and turned around, finding herself face to face with a tall man who looked to be college aged. His hair was light, and his face looked friendly, but his expression made Aria uneasy.

"Who are you?" Aria stammered.

"I should be asking you the same question," The man said, "Why are you pretending to be Vivian?"

"Well I'm a friend of hers," Aria struggled to make up a story, "And I wanted to find her favorite coat, because her birthday is coming up."

The man looked at Aria, "That's a pretty good lie, I almost believe it."

"Your turn." Aria crossed her arms.

"I'm also a friend of Vivian's," The man said, "My name is Duncan."

"Well Duncan," Aria said, "If you happen to talk to Vivian at any point, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mention this encounter."

"You don't have to worry about that," Duncan forced a smile, "I haven't seen Vivian in years. I was ecstatic when I heard you say her name, and saw your long dark hair. You could almost pass for her."

"How do you know Vivian?" Aria asked, against her better judgement.

Duncan made a strange face, "We met in a bookstore around here. I don't really know how we became friends though."

Aria wasn't really sure what to say to that. She wasn't sure how she became Alison's friends either. Ali wasn't quite a nice person. Thankfully, Andrea interrupted their conversation.

"Miss Darkbloom?" The saleswoman said, "We happened to have one of the coats in storage, here it is if you would like to try it on."

Andrea handed Aria a red coat that was identical to the one's Aria and Jason had found. Aria's fingers skimmed the material. It was so unlike anything she had ever seen Ali wear. Maybe that was why Ali chose to wear it.

"Thank you, I think I will try it on," Aria smiled, "Where are your sunglasses, ma'am?"

Andrea directed Aria over to the eyewear, and as Aria began browsing select sunglasses she realized that Duncan had followed her over. She pulled a large pair of sunglasses off the rack, slid them on, and turned to face him.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"I was just looking around Brookhaven," Duncan said.

Aria turned away, looking in a mirror. She decided the sunglasses hid her face well enough, and went to put on the red coat.

"Amazing." Duncan shook his head.

"What is?" Aria wanted to know.

"If you put on some red lipstick, and your eyes were blue instead of brown, you could almost pass as her." Duncan said, "You know, you never told me why you were here."

"Yes I did." Aria crossed her arms.

Duncan shot her a look, "The real reason."

"I have to go," Aria said quickly.

Duncan began to walk with Aria towards the cash register, causing her to stop in her tracks. Aria tensed up as she looked at him

"Don't." She said sharply. "Follow me."

Aria felt Duncan's eyes on her as she continued walking towards the cash register. She handed the sunglasses and coat to a teenaged girl that was clearly bored with her job.

"That'll be eighty-three dollars and forty cents." The girl said in a dull voice.

Aria fished eighty five dollars in cash out of her pocket. Her hand shook as she gave it to the girl behind the counter.

"Keep the change." She said hurriedly.

Aria grabbed the coat and sunglasses and quickly walked out of the store. She glanced back in through the window and saw that Duncan was still watching her, stone faced and clearly perturbed.

* * *

Aria wished she could tell someone about Duncan. Her friends had no idea what was going on with A right now, and Aria had already decided that Jason was better off left in the dark. Jason. Aria had completely forgotten about their date tomorrow night. She relaxed for a moment at the thought of seeing him again, but then the first date nerves began to set in.

Her closet contained tons of dresses and shoes and other clothing, but as Aria began to shuffle through her many outfit options, she realized she had no idea where Jason was taking her. Pulling out her phone, Aria began to compose a text.

**_Hey, Jason! Where are we going tomorrow night?_**

Aria sat on her bed and held her breath as she waited for a response. She practically jumped when her phone finally buzzed.

_I can't tell you, it's a surprise._

Aria sighed. Damn his romantic side.

**_I need to know what to wear and what to bring!_**

She could practically hear Jason laughing wherever he currently was. He had always been like that, making fun of Alison and her posse for their girly routines and makeovers that they often gave each other.

_Wear that black dress you were trying on the other day. I'll take care of everything else._

Aria leaned back on her bed and smiled. Jason was taking her somewhere nice, she could tell. That made her feel extremely special. No one had ever gone the extra mile on a first date with her. Thinking of Jason and the excitement it gave her almost made Aria forget about A as she daydreamed about Friday night, and how amazing things with Jason were.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry I took two weeks to update! How do you guys feel about Duncan being introduced into this? And Aria lying to Jason? Next chapter is 100% Jaria, and the entire thing will be their Friday night date. Leave a review! If this gets five reviews or five new follows I'll update by Tuesday, otherwise I'm waiting a week. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

Aria and Hanna were sprawled across the queen sized bed that occupied Aria's room. After informing the girls of her date with Jason, the fashion loving blonde had insisted on helping Aria prepare for her evening out. Aria had reluctantly agreed, deciding that Hanna would be able to do a better job on her hair and makeup than she would.

"So," Hanna smiled, "Where are you going?"

"I don't know, but he told me to wear that black dress I got at the mall." Aria said.

"He's seen it already?" Hanna gasped.

Aria shrugged, "I was trying it on when he came over to my house to ask me out."

"Whatever," Hanna rolled her eyes, "I guess I'll just have to make you look extra stunning so he still does a double take even though he's already seen how amazing you look in that dress."

Aria playfully sighed, and both girls burst into a fit of giggles. Hanna pulled a curling Iron out of her oversized purse, and practically skipped over to Aria's vanity to plug it in. Aria followed Hanna over, and sat down in the chair, leaving one of her best friends completely in control of her appearance.

"So is Jason a good kisser?" Hanna asked.

"Um," Aria blushed, and tried to hide the smile that was forming on her lips.

Hanna clapped her hands, "He is! You go girl!"

"He's amazing." Aria smiled.

Hanna sectioned off Aria's thick brown hair, and began to curl a small piece, "Well good. Because if he didn't take care of you, then I'd have bigger issues at hand than the fact that I have so much hair to curl!"

The girls sat in silence as Hanna curled Aria's hair. Once finished, Hanna made a noise of approval, and then began to dig through her bag for makeup.

"How do you feel about smoky eye and red lipstick?" Hanna held up a palette for Aria's approval.

Aria shrugged, "What if he thinks I'm trying too hard and it comes across as trampy?"

"I think that he wants you to wear a fancy and short dress, so he's clearly taking you somewhere nice, but I also think that the boy is already completely in love with you and it has nothing to do with what you wear or don't wear." Hanna said.

"You think he's in love with me?" Color flooded to Aria's cheeks.

Hanna smiled, "Sweetie, he's had it bad for you since back when Ali was still our friend. If he's held on to his feelings for that long, he's in love."

Everything that Hanna said was true, and Aria was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. The fact that Jason waited for her for so long made her feel incredibly special, but she also felt extremely guilty for being with someone else who didn't even love her while she had an amazing guy that would be willing to do anything for her. Sometimes when she thought about everything with Ezra and Ali, Aria felt like she didn't deserve to have Jason's affection.

"Wow," Aria said, "I've never thought about it that way."

Hanna nodded and began to apply a coat of liquid foundation to Aria's face, which was followed by a light brushing of powder and blush.

"I want your skin to be subtle so your eyes and lips pop even more." Hanna explained as she worked.

"Okay." Aria nodded.

When Hanna finished applying various shades of black and silver eye shadow to Aria's face, followed by winged eyeliner and an expensive brand of mascara, she moved on to the lips.

"How about I give you this special lip stain for tonight?" Hanna suggested, "It's perfect for kissing."

"Han," Aria groaned, "Really?"

Hanna laughed, "I'm just saying! Your lips looking good only goes so far if his get stick when he kisses you."

"Thank you Hanna." Aria succumbed to Hanna's will.

"Damn girl." Hanna examined Aria when she was finished, "Go put your dress on so we can get the full effect."

Aria slipped the tight dress on, along with a pair of black stilettos. They were the tallest pair she owned, and she knew Jason would still tower over her. Somehow, it made her feel safe knowing that she had someone capable of protecting her.

Hanna let out a low whistle, "You're going to have fun tonight."

Aria groaned, but was saved by the ringing doorbell.

"He's here!" Both girls squealed at the same time.

Aria and Hanna rushed to spray perfume, put earrings on, and grab a small clutch before Aria practically flew down the stairs and opened the door. There, Jason stood, dressed in khakis and a button down with a suit jacket.

"Wow." Jason looked Aria up and down, "You are beautiful."

A smiled formed on Aria's lips, and she was about to than him when Jason pulled her in for a kiss. When they finally broke apart, Jason held Aria's gaze for a moment longer.

"Thank you," Aria said, "Hanna did everything."

"Tell Hanna she's an amazing makeup artist, but she had the best canvas to work on."

Jason grabbed Aria's hand and pulled her towards his car, a shiny black lexus that Aria had seen and admired around town before.

"Where are we going?" Aria asked.

"It's a surprise!" Jason said, "In downtown Philly."

Aria ran her fingers over Jason's neck, "Where in Philly?"

"Nice try." Jason laughed, and opened the passenger car door for Aria. She got in, and after shutting the door behind her, Jason walked to the driver's side and started the car.

* * *

Jason led Aria up a staircase, covering her eyes with his other hand. Their bodies were extremely close to each other; Jason was supporting Aria so that she didn't lose her balance without being able to see. He removed his hand as they reached the top of the stairs and opened a door.

"Jason, this is beautiful." Aria gasped, "What is this place?"

"A private restaurant owned by my dad's friend."

They were standing on a rooftop that overlooked the city. There were five tables, and only one was occupied. In the center, was a gas fireplace that flickered, giving off the only light in the room.

"It's beautiful." Aria whispered.

Jason squeezed Aria's hand, "I was hoping you would like it."

A waiter approached the two of them, and guided the couple to the table furthest from the other two people at the restaurant. Aria sat down and looked out at the twinkling lights of the city as she was handed a menu. The waiter came back and lit a candle in the center of the table that Aria hadn't noticed up until that moment, and then left them to look at the menu.

Being vegetarian, Aria ordered eggplant parmesan. Although there were many options, she decided that sounded best. Jason ordered some sort of steak dish, and then they were alone.

"I can't believe you're here, with me." Jason said, gazing at Aria.

Aria reached for Jason's hand, "I'm sorry I took so long to see what was right in front of me."

"Don't be sorry," Jason said, "You're here now, that's what matters. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"I am happy Jason." Aria said.

"You don't have to be okay all the time," Jason said, "It's okay if you're still hurting."

"I am okay with you Jason." Aria reassured him, "No pretending."

After finishing their entrees and splitting a tiramisu cake, Aria and Jason left the restaurant. This time, Aria could actually see where she was walking. Jason's hand touched the small of her back, and Aria shivered. She wasn't sure if it was from the night air or from his touch. Immediately, Jason took off his jacket and placed it around Aria's shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"Can we just walk?" Jason asked, "I want to be with you."

"Of course." Aria kissed him. She had to pull away, because kissing Jason always made her want more.

Together, they walked in silence. That was the best part about being with one another, they felt completely comfortable just being together in silence. They walked the back streets of Philadelphia, which were all but abandoned at the time they were out. Normally, Aria would have felt uneasy walking around an empty street at this hour, but she had Jason by her side. Jason put his arm around her, and pulled her close, and she wrapped her other arm around his waist.

"Have I mentioned how beautiful you are?" Jason whispered into Aria's ear.

"Maybe once or twice." Aria smiled.

Jason's lips met Aria's temple, in a slow but sweet kiss that sent a fuzzy feeling down her entire body. Aria's eyes were half-closed, so both of them almost didn't notice as they walked by Jason's car.

"Here we are darling." Jason said.

He guided her to the passenger seat, and then pressed her up against the car door as gently as possible, crushing his lips against hers. Kissing Jason in public gave Aria an unexplainable thrill, even though no one was around to watch. For the first time since before her relationship with Ezra, Aria felt comfortable with the world; like she had nothing to hide from.

* * *

**A/N: I just really love Jaria together. Stuff happens next chapter, I think. Maybe. I haven't written it yet but I'm starting now! Leave a review and I'll love you.**


	8. Chapter 8

Aria looked at the picture on Vivian Darkbloom's ID, and then looked back at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was styled into perfect waves, similar to the picture. With red liptick, big sunglass, and coat, Aria could even convince herself that she looked like Vivian.

Aria pulled on a pair of knee high black leather boots; something that seemed very Vivian, and walked out of her house. It made sense to her to walk to the bus stop, that way no one would recognize her in her car. As Aria walked down the street, a cold wind blew, and Aria was glad that her disguise required a coat.

When Aria arrived at her destination, she stared at the daunting building. A shiver went down her spine, but it wasn't from the cold. For a moment, she wanted to turn around and go straight back to the safety of her own home, but she needed more than that. Aria took a deep breath, and walked up the stone steps to the building.

An elderly woman with her graying hair pulled up into a knot was seated at the front desk. She peered through the glasses at the end of her nose, and was typing a document on her computer. The woman looked up as Aria's heels clicked across the tile floor.

"Hello there," The woman's voice was grandmotherly and deep, "What brings you here today?"

Aria glanced around and noticed a security guard standing by a door opposite of the one she had come through, "I'm here to visit someone."

"Well you came just in time," The woman said with a smile, "Visiting hours just started. Who are you here to see?"

"Ezra Fitz." Aria said quietly.

"Oh that Ezra, always has a string of visitors. I'm going to need your name and identification and then you can head right on back." The woman looked pointedly at Aria waiting,

Aria shuffled through her purse and pulled out Vivian's ID, "Vivian Darkbloom."

"Oh Vivian," The woman gushed, "That's such a beautiful name. Timothy over there will take you right on back."

Aria looked back at the security guard, who motioned for her to walk with him. The man led her down a stark hallway, and towards an isle of chairs with telephones hanging next to them. It looked just like the visitor booths that Aria had seen in TV shows. She was directed to sit down by the security guard, and held her breath as she waited for Ezra to appear.

No matter how many times she had told herself she was ready to see him, none of it helped the second she saw Ezra. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit, his hair had gotten longer, and it looked like he hadn't shaved for days. The guard on his side of the glass pushed him into the seat, and he picked up the phone. Aria did the same.

"Vivian." Ezra said, "I wasn't expecting to see you he-"

Aria took off the sunglasses, and Ezra stared at her in stunned silence.

"You aren't the only ones who are able to find things out." Aria said.

"You shouldn't be here," Ezra warned, "It's not safe."

Aria shook her head, "You don't get to be concerned with my safety anymore. What you do get to do is answer my questions, you owe me that much."

"Fine." Ezra said, after a pause.

"Who's been visiting you?" Aria asked.

"I think you know the answer to that question." Ezra replied.

"Tell me."

"Mostly Mona." Ezra said, "She bounces between me and Ali, delivering messages. I can guarantee she knows you're here. She'll follow you when you leave."

"Oh good," Aria smiled, "I have a bone to pick with her. Who else are you working with."

"No one. It's just me, Alison, Mona, and we used to have Toby." Ezra said.

Aria thought for a moment. Mona was Hanna's best friend. Emily had been in love with Alison for as long as she could remember. Toby was Spencer's boyfriend. And Ezra had been with her for quite some time.

"Wait, so that means. . ." Aria thought aloud.

Ezra pressed his mouth into a line, "One of us for each of you. There used to be. Now it's just Mona."

"Why are you being honest?" Aria asked, not expecting an answer.

"Because I want to help you." Ezra said, "I don't want to be a part of it anymore, I never did."

"You never were looking for Ali, were you?" Aria realized.

Ezra shook his head, "Never. She recruited me after I met you. That's just what I was told to say when you got caught."

"So why. . ."

"Why did Ali start the A team?" Ezra finished Aria's sentence, "I can't tell you that. Partly because I don't know the full story, and partly because there's so much that you don't know. Everything I told you, you had already figured out on your own."

"That's not fair!" Aria screamed.

The guard who had been respectfully standing a few feet away from Aria straightened up at the sound of her yelling. Aria waved her hand to let him know she was okay.

"That's not fair." Aria said, "You owe me."

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend about his family secrets?" Ezra spat.

"Jason?" Aria gasped, "How do you even. . ."

"Oh please, don't tell me you're still surprised when we find out things about your life. It's not like you two were exactly being secretive." Ezra said.

"Leave him out of it," Aria said, "He's the reason I moved on. I'm not going to drag him back into this."

"This involves him." Ezra said.

"You're lying!" Aria said, "You just want to mess with my head even more. Can't you let me be happy?"

Ezra looked into Aria's eyes, "You won't let yourself be happy. Let it go."

"I'll let it go when it's over." Aria said, "And you and I both know I'm still very much in the middle of it."

Aria slammed the phone down and stood up. The guard took that as a cue, and began to walk with Aria, who was storming down the hallway.

"Thank you." She nodded to both the woman at the desk and the security guard before walking out of the building.

Aria walked to the bus stop and journeyed to Rosewood. When she got off, she began to walk a block before turning a corner, and coming face to face with Mona.

"You." Aria whispered.

"Me." Mona smiled, "What did he tell you?"

"Nothing I didn't already know." Aria said.

Mona pushed Aria into a wall, "Don't lie to me. Jason's not here to save you this time."

"He didn't tell me anything Mona!" Aria cried.

"You're going to have to do better than that." Mona laughed.

"Ask him yourself," Aria said, "You've been visiting him."

Mona cocked her head, "Now we're getting somewhere."

Aria took the opportunity to shove Mona off of her and began to run down the empty street. It took mere seconds for Mona to get off of the ground, and she began to sprint after Aria. Despite her tall heels, Aria had a lead, and Mona was unable to cover the distance between them.

"I'll get you!" Mona screamed.

Aria raced forward until she was sure that Mona was no longer behind her. That wasn't a comforting thought, because she knew Mona wouldn't give up. Aria walked as quickly as possible to the place she knew she needed to go, and knocked on the door.

Jason opened the door, "Aria? Why are you wearing. . ."

"Can I come in?" Aria asked, "We need to talk."

* * *

**A/N: I feel like this might have been bad but I hope you still liked something about it. I think I might even be writing a third part to this story, because there's going to be a lot happening and there's kind of a second plot forming you'll understand once I reveal more information. Please leave a review, it makes me smile when you take time **


	9. Chapter 9

Jason gestured for Aria to come inside his house, and he led her over to the familiar living room to sit down. Aria put distance between the two of them as they sat on the couch, and both of them were silent for a moment.

"Aria, what's wrong?" Jason asked.

Aria averted Jason's eye, "I went to see Ezra today."

"Why would you do that?" Jason asked, "Why would you go without me?"

"Because I don't want you to get involved. You may think you can protect me but it's better if you just don't make this your problem." Aria said.

"Aria. . ." Jason trailed off.

"Jason he told me that you're keeping a secret about your family." Aria blurted out.

"Why would he say that?" Jason asked.

"I don't know," Aria said, "But he knows something that Mona doesn't want me knowing, because she was waiting for me when you left."

"Well why don't you ask him since apparently you're on good terms with him now?" Jason spat out.

"No," Aria shook her head, "I need to hear it from you. Jason, what aren't you telling me."

Jason sighed and reached for Aria's hand. She pulled away from his grasp, crossing her arms and staring at him until he spoke.

"Ali's not my only sister." Jason finally said, "She had a twin. Her name is Courtney. Courtney was in a mental institution for most of her life."

"Why have you never told me this?" Aria asked.

"Aria, listen to me. Alison really is dead. The girl you think is Alison is really Courtney; Courtney is the one in Radley." Jason said.

Aria waited for Jason to continue, "Why has she been there her whole life?"

Jason closed his eyes for a moment. Aria could tell that it was difficult for him to tell her these things, but she needed answers.

"When they were about five years old, Courtney started wanting to be more like Ali. It got to the point that Courtney would convince herself she was Alison. We were scared for Ali, so we sent Courtney away."

Aria reached out for Jason's hand and squeezed it. Their eyes met as Jason pressed his lips together.

"Aria," Jason said, "I think Courtney killed Ali."

Aria opened her mouth to ask why he thought that, but then she realized that the pieces all fit together. If Courtney wanted to be Ali, and she really was insane, she could have killed her in order to take her place. That meant that she had been stalked by a killer.

"Jason why haven't you said anything to the police?" Aria asked.

"They wouldn't be able to gather any evidence," Jason said, "The investigation and the trial would tear my family apart. Ali was always their favorite daughter, they resented Courtney for ruining their picture perfect family. If they knew she killed Ali. . ."

Aria rubbed comforting strokes up and down Jason's arm. It pained her to see him so torn up. Knowing that he had been holding all of this in for so long killed her inside. The realization that Jason had been trying to fix what was broken inside her while he wasn't even whole hit her in that moment.

"I'm sorry," Aria said.

"For what?" Jason asked.

"Bringing this up. Going to talk to Ezra behind your back. Being the one that made all of this resurface." Aria said.

Jason ran his thumb along Aria's jawline, "None of this is your fault Aria. You're the best thing in my life right now."

"I love you." Aria said.

As the words came out of her mouth she realized how true they were. Jason was selfless when it came to Aria's happiness, putting her before himself always. But he didn't even need to do that, just being with him made her feel happier than she ever had with Ezra. They didn't have to hide with each other.

"I love you too," Jason said, "We'll figure this out, ok? I know you probably feel like you're running around in circles without getting any answers, because I've been there, but we're going to find out what really happened and we're going to do it together."

"Jason," Aria said, "What if Courtney is let out of Radley again?"

"We have to make sure that doesn't happen. She's dangerous. Even if she didn't kill Ali, she hurt you and your friends and shouldn't be allowed near you ever again." Jason said.

"If she didn't kill Ali, then who did?" Aria asked.

"Isn't that the million dollar question," Jason said.

Aria looked at Jason with an expression that he couldn't read, "Jason. . .I think we need to go talk to her. I need to meet her, and you need to know what happened to your other sister."

"Forget it." Jason said.

"If she did kill Ali then we'll know that her killer is locked," Aria reasoned, "And if she didn't then you can stop hating her for something she didn't do."

"Aria. . ." Jason sighed.

"Look, Jason I know it's going to be hard on you, but we both need to know. I'll be with you the whole time, no matter what happens." Aria said.

"I'll think about it," Jason said.

Aria kissed Jason on the cheek, "Thank you."

Jason turned his head so his lips met Aria's. Instantly they forgot about everything they had been going through. Kissing each other was pure bliss. Jason pulled Aria into his lap, breaking away momentarily to smile at her.

"You know," He said, "That outfit is kind of hot on you."

"Shut up." Aria giggled, and silenced him with another kiss.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so so so sorry you guys! I cracked my laptop screen and forgot to get my files off of the hard drive before I sent it away. Thank you for waiting a month after I left you with like the biggest cliffhanger ever. I've decided to update once every two weeks instead of trying to do it once every week, because with balancing four fics and school it's just going to lead to me disappointing you all. Please leave a review, what do you think of this new reveal?**


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